Narrative possesses listener, it's that good

The book will hit you at a visceral level and be prepared to listen to it beyond your normal listening routine. It's not a history of the war. The war is treated as a background character to the machinations of the political intrigue that transpired.

The book is a series of stories with a narrative that ties them all together. Be prepared to listen to 8 or so hours about a single topic such as the run up to the incursion of Austria or the invasion of Poland. The book is not a set of sound bites but is mostly exhaustive details on the political intrigue surrounding the topic.

Why can't all readers be as good as Grover Gardner?

I had ran out of science books on audible to listen to and had low expectations for this book. My expectations were wrong.

127 people found this helpful

Held my interest for 57 hours and 13 minutes

I always buy a long volume with trepidation wondering how many "dry spots" or "dry epochs" will be contained therein. This volume was amazing in that I was fascinated and interested every minute. The story focused on the characters while the overall picture was interwoven in their interactions and lives, particulary Hitler of course. The details added to the interest rather than extend it unnecessarily. This is a book that I will very probably savor again.
I enjoy history and military history and this is probably the best I have read.

248 people found this helpful

Utterly Required

Utterly required for any student of 20th century history, or WWII buff. This book is unusually well written, and very well read. One of the best bargains in the Audible Library.

19 people found this helpful

Quite simply the best

Of all the books I have read covering the Nazi era this is simply the best book of its type. Nothing else comes close to its readability and scope, and Shirer's presence in Germany as a reporter at the time allowed him to add many personal observations that add greatly to the authenticity of the book. While the book is now about 50 years old, research since its publication has changed few of its conclusions. It is less academic and detailed than Richard Evans triology of the period, but I found Shirer's book both more complete in its observations and much more readable. The quality of this book is evident from the fact that in all of that time, and with all of the books on the period that have been written, this book has never been out of print.

And though it needs nothing else, Grover Gardiner's flawless reading only makes the book even better. This is easily one of the 10 best books I have ever read from Audible and I recommend it without reservation to anyone with an interest in World War II in Europe.

A word of caution - this is not a dispassionate book. Shirer had definate opinions and those are not hidden. His distain for many of the primary players is clearly evident in his descriptions and that may offend some readers. This is not an academic book (See Richard Evans' Nazi trilogy for a dispassionate academic telling of the period), but no other book comes close to its readability and comprehensiveness. It covers the political events and there is no concentration on the war (see Richard Atkinson's WW II military trilogy for that).

148 people found this helpful

A detailed and captivating history

What did you love best about The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?

I grew up with the usual stories about Hitler and WWII but never heard the details about how he rose to power. This book tells it all.

What did you like best about this story?

Hitler didn't hesitate to lie and deceive his friends, enemies or fellow citizens in order to get what he wanted. Not withstanding the holocaust itself I saw many parallels to our modern day politics and wonder if we have forgotten the lessons he taught us.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent performance.

15 people found this helpful

A View of what an American saw of the Third Reich

Mr. Shirer wrote this book in the '50's, while the second world war was still very fresh in everyone's mind. While some of the advantages to examining the events that occurred after many of the principles involved had passed are clearly evident, I was very enlightened about the events that led to the rise and fall of the Third Reich. It is very evident that Mr. Shirer has certain biases that were widespread during that period. However, even that frames the events in a way a more open acceptance would not be able to do. This was a great listen, and I found it captivating.

36 people found this helpful

A Tale of Momumental Evil, Stupidity and Hatred

Never before had I read a firsthand account, from primary sources, as damning as this book. All of the negative superlatives that one could pen I have not the number of commas in my repertoire to string them together. You get a striking picture of Hitler, who he was, what he did and how he failed. As grotesque as he may be, the intellectual flyweights he surrounded himself with defy understanding. How, intelligent and gifted military leaders allowed themselves to be led into the manifest slaughter of innocent people – well I have no words. Read the book and you too will be speechless.

The book is built on primary reference materials and hence, I confess, unless I had listened to it, I would not have been able to get through it. It is essentially a 50 hour audio documentary. Although I could not listen at my usual three to four hours a day because I was so disturbed and depressed by the subject matter, I had to finish. And, to think, how close Hilter came to winning on at least four occasions makes me breathless about what evil he would have wrought and what the world would have been like today.

Hitler came to power and in twelve short years of rule and conquest - five of them in war - caused over 30 million people to be killed, not mention the number of people forced to kill on his behalf or to fend off those trying to kill them. It is a testament to how a single perverted point of view with power to influence the masses can spin lies and deceit that move ordinary people to be puppets. Looking to today’s world situation, you have to ask yourself whether parallels exist. You must listen to this book! I also highly recommend the Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk which is a true story set with fictional characters. For a Japanese view of history, read Flyboys by James Bradley.

This is must read for a serious historian. Do not expect to find gruesome details; expect to find a documented story that causes you to reconsider history and today’s world.

183 people found this helpful

I've listened to Grover Gardner more than my wife

It might be 50 years old, but William Shirer's book is just as gripping and just as important today as ever. It is amazingly well researched and the perspective of someone that was a close and personal observer to much of the Nazi period.

Yes, it is long. At 57 plus hours, my wife reckons I've listened to Grover Gardner more than I've listened to her in 15 years of marriage. But Mr Gardner stays claim and steady throughout and never gets upset at my "what?" His narration is absolutely first class. One can't imagine a better combination than Shirer and Gardner.

138 people found this helpful

Yes! Well Worth Your Time

This book is amazing and I highly recommended it for anyone with even a passing interest in WWII history. Shirer is able to alternately provide a big picture view of the Third Reich while providing the intimate "you are there" perspective that is constantly engaging. It is certainly helpful that the Third Reich was overflowing with characters, both terrible and farcical, that make for fascinating listening. It is equal parts political, social, and military history. Personally, I found the political and social aspects the most interesting parts of the book.

It is hard to believe that after 57 hours he could have left things out, but I wish he had done more writing about the social "on the home front" history of people in Germany after the outbreak of hostilities to match the detail he put in to the effect of the Third Reich leading up to the outbreak of war on ordinary people's lives. But that is just a small complaint within the larger work.

It is interesting some of the things that an author is allowed to do in a long book like this that are not possible in a traditional history book. You get to experience the almost supernaturally charmed life that Hitler led up to 1942 and his amazing ability to make just the right decision at the right time during the rise of the Third Reich. You also get to experience the slow descent into madness that Hitler experienced over the last couple of years and how he took an entire society down with him.

Yes, some of Shirer's attitudes are a bit dated (especially his attitude regarding homosexuality), but frankly what makes the book even more amazing is how smoothly the narrative flows over 50 years later. If all history was written in such an engaging style we would all be much better off. I found his undisguised disdain for some of the German leaders to be very effective in making the story ring even more true.

Finally, I can't say enough about the narration of Grover Gardner. He never lagged and did an absolutely superb job!

9 people found this helpful

Very Necessary Reading/Listening

In the 1990's I listened to the older BOT cassette version of this work read by Larry McKeever. He did a good job. To have this redone by Grover Gardner is a HUGE gift to us all (Thank you Grover). He does a much better job and his European pronunciations are very competent. I have read that Shirer's work is not liked by many historians in this field (especially by the Germans) but I find his writing to be on par with the great narrative historians (McCullough, Caro, Chernow, etc.). I am also listening to Richard Evans's Third Reich trilogy and, although its more thoroughly researched, his writing is not near Shirer's in elegance. And the reader is not near the quality of Mr Gardner. One of the lessons learned from this tragic story is that numerous and fractured political parties can lead to disaster for everyone.

137 people found this helpful